This is often due to aging. As mental sharpness decreases, confusion is more common. Cognitive issues such as not being able to see or hear clearly are other reasons that can lead to confusion. This can make it difficult to respond to requests appropriately, which can lead to confusion.
Dogs can also feel confused and can be confused for the same reasons as humans. How can you tell if your dog seems confused? Do they tilt their heads when we speak to them? Do they have other signs? This adorable tilt of the head could be another sign, such as dogs trying to confuse us or faking confusion. Can dogs really fake such things?
Signs of Dogs Faking Confusion
Dog owners have all seen the cute head tilts that dogs can sometimes exhibit when they talk to us. Dogs will often have their heads slightly tilted with one ear down and one up. They might also alternate sides, which is even more adorable!
The head tilt could indicate that the dog is confused about what we’re telling them or what our expectations are. Researchers aren’t sure if it means the dog is confused. It could just be a way to get our attention.
It is important to be aware of the signs and symptoms that can indicate confusion in dogs before you can determine if your dog is faking it. The following are some of the signs:
- Head tilting – This is the most obvious sign that dogs give when they are confused. This can often look adorable and almost like your dog is asking you what you are talking about. Although many agree that head tilting is a sign of confusion, experts disagree on the exact purpose. Most people believe that your dog is trying to understand you, hear you better, or see you clearly. Researchers agree that a tilted head is a sign of confusion. Your dog will attempt to understand something they don’t know.
- Chewing – Dogs who are confused about something might show signs such as chewing, even though there is nothing in their mouth. Or they may start licking their lips. This is a sign that they are stressed and will often be followed by other signs.
- seen the cute – A stressed dog will often have their ears down. Your dog may have their ears down when they are stressed.
- Barking – If your dog is confused, it may bark to try and make it clearer. Dogs that can’t understand something will bark to make the situation clearer.
- Panting – When a dog is trying to solve a problem, they can become easily startled or stressed. These dogs often pant to calm themselves down.
- Dogs can become frantic when they are under pressure.
Other signs your dog might be confused about include a change in their perception of their environment. They may check more closely, look down and even start to whine.
However, there are instances when your dog may just be trying to get your attention by faking symptoms. Dog owners have reported numerous instances where their dogs created injuries to gain more attention. Dogs may try to imitate the symptoms of an injury or illness to gain our attention.
History of Dogs Making Confusion
Dogs have been our companions for centuries, and our co-evolution made them develop very distinct features and behaviors. They perceive the world around them a bit differently from us, however. When they communicate, they will do that by vocalizing, fidgeting with their nose and ears, and changing their posture and activity level.
By looking at our behavior, intonations, and body postures, they can also discern how we feel. The beauty of co-evolution is that dogs can accomplish amazing things. They are intelligent and can make up various issues to get our attention. Why do they do it?
Science of Dogs Confused
Senior dogs become confused much more often, as their mental sharpness slowly declines. Another reason this happens is that their senses aren’t as keen anymore, and often, age-related conditions like blindness or deafness play a role there too. Other conditions, like the Canine Cognitive Disorder, can contribute to why dogs can be confused.
Faking confusion is a sign that dogs are more interested in our attention than we are. Attention-seeking behavior is a behavioral problem that causes dogs to pretend confusion or other symptoms of illness. Dogs will sometimes go to extreme lengths to get attention.
Dogs who fake confusion can be trained
A very common injury our dogs get is a sprained leg, so they might limp for a bit before they get better. As we are worried about them, we give them more attention at that time to make sure they recover as quickly as possible and not aggravate the condition. Dogs might start faking a limp to get more attention, and such behavior is often called a “sympathy limp.” Dogs can start doing that with other symptoms as well, confusion being one of them. This is an attention-seeking behavior that should not be encouraged.
It is best to ignore these behaviors in order to address the problem. First, you must rule out any serious issues. It is a behavior problem if your dog is healthy.
The dog might get more attention, and it might get worse. You should be persistent as giving up might encourage your dog to do more. You should consult a dog behaviorist if the behavior persists.